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In The City Of Falling Angels, John Berendt endeavors to achieve for Venice what he accomplished for Savannah, Georgia, in his highly successful Midnight In The Garden Of Good And Evil. Just as the earlier work commenced with a murder, this one begins with something equally captivating: a fire that, in 1996, obliterated the historic La Fenice Opera House and nearly decimated Venice itself.
The cause of the fire is regarded as arson by some, negligence by others, and there are speculations that the Mafia might be involved. However, the book is less about the outcome of the investigation and more about the people who inhabit the island. These range from old world nobles residing in palazzos along the Grand Canal to American expats and a diverse array of artists, artisans, and simple tradespeople.
Berendt - who, by coincidence, arrived in the city three days after the fire - is a perceptive observer. When he describes people and places, there is an abundance of drama and humor. Particularly amusing is the portrayal of the man who earns his living by formulating specialized rat poisons for various cities.
Nevertheless, what Berendt lacks here is a compelling villain, someone as mysterious and menacing as his first book's Jim Williams. There is also no one as unabashedly self-promoting and outrageous as the Lady Chablis, the drag queen who achieved minor celebrity status after the success of Midnight.
One gets the sense that the author was inundated by the sheer volume of history and background he had to convey. Nowhere is this more evident than in the virtually unreadable chapter about Ezra Pound, his wife, and his mistress.
Perhaps it is the language barrier (a glossary of words and names is useful) or the fact that Venetians are a protective and contradictory people, but the book does not fully come alive.
Still, travelers seeking the inside scoop on the real Venice - with barely a mention of St. Mark's Square - will want to pick this up.
Originally published in NOW Magazine: nowtoronto.com/art-and-books/books/ci...
The cause of the fire is regarded as arson by some, negligence by others, and there are speculations that the Mafia might be involved. However, the book is less about the outcome of the investigation and more about the people who inhabit the island. These range from old world nobles residing in palazzos along the Grand Canal to American expats and a diverse array of artists, artisans, and simple tradespeople.
Berendt - who, by coincidence, arrived in the city three days after the fire - is a perceptive observer. When he describes people and places, there is an abundance of drama and humor. Particularly amusing is the portrayal of the man who earns his living by formulating specialized rat poisons for various cities.
Nevertheless, what Berendt lacks here is a compelling villain, someone as mysterious and menacing as his first book's Jim Williams. There is also no one as unabashedly self-promoting and outrageous as the Lady Chablis, the drag queen who achieved minor celebrity status after the success of Midnight.
One gets the sense that the author was inundated by the sheer volume of history and background he had to convey. Nowhere is this more evident than in the virtually unreadable chapter about Ezra Pound, his wife, and his mistress.
Perhaps it is the language barrier (a glossary of words and names is useful) or the fact that Venetians are a protective and contradictory people, but the book does not fully come alive.
Still, travelers seeking the inside scoop on the real Venice - with barely a mention of St. Mark's Square - will want to pick this up.
Originally published in NOW Magazine: nowtoronto.com/art-and-books/books/ci...
